POCATELLO — What started with two local Methodist Sunday school teachers inspired by the parables of Jesus has grown into an annual event that provides essentials to people in need across East Idaho.

The Feeding the 5,000 food drive kicks off its 29th year with a free concert at 7 p.m. Saturday at Central Christian Church in Pocatello.

Jolene Bartnett-Stephens, the 2026 food drive chairwoman, said the annual drive is the longest-running interfaith food drive in the United States.

The drive began in 1997 at First United Methodist Church, where two Sunday school teachers set out to collect 5,000 food items for the Idaho Food Bank — a goal inspired by the biblical parable of feeding the multitude. Knowing they couldn’t do it alone, they reached out to the broader community and collected 25,000 cans of food in their first year.

Today, approximately 13 interfaith groups across Southeast Idaho come together each year to raise money for the Idaho Food Bank and build awareness of food insecurity in the region.

“We will have a kickoff concert to let people know that our food drive is getting started,” Bartnett-Stephens said. “It’s local performers from the community and it’s free to the general public. Anyone can come and listen to great music. There will be an offering and all money raised goes to the Idaho Food Bank here in Pocatello.”

The drive runs approximately six weeks through Lent, the Christian liturgical season of fasting, prayer and almsgiving that commemorates the 40 days Jesus spent in the wilderness.

“We kept it that way, because for the food bank there is a little bit of a lull after the holidays for people donating,” Bartnett-Stephens said. “It’s a good thing for them to receive the food and the money at this particular time.”

While some faith organizations — including Holy Spirit Catholic Community — donate items to locations such as St. Vincent de Paul or their own food pantries, and others like Trinity Episcopal support their own congregations, most participating interfaith groups donate directly to the Idaho Food Bank.

Beginning April 11, the public can also donate at participating area grocery stores, including Albertsons, Fred Meyer and Ridley’s.

A progressive dinner is planned for April 25, beginning with appetizers at First United Methodist Church, continuing with salad and a main course at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Caldwell Park building, and concluding with dessert at Central Christian Church. Tickets are $15; children 10 and under are admitted free.

“It’s the community that keeps us going,” Bartnett-Stephens said. “It’s not just the faith communities that look forward to this, but the (entire) community in Southeast Idaho. They are very supportive of us. They are very active. When it first got started with the two Sunday school teachers at the Methodist Church, one of the things that was a focal point for them was getting other faiths involved.”

She added, “They had a really big focus on community. They wanted their Sunday school kids and their church members to meet and get to know other faith communities. Because it takes everybody to do this and to help the community.”